DHAKA, May 18, (V7N) — Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said today that the government has adopted a comprehensive five-year strategic framework for reform and development to rebuild the economy through reforms, institutional restructuring, expanded investment, and employment-focused growth.
Speaking at a press briefing after a National Economic Council (NEC) meeting, the minister said the “Five-Year Strategic Framework for Reform and Development” will serve as Bangladesh’s development roadmap for the next five years.
The NEC meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the NEC Conference Room in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.
“It is essentially a roadmap for rebuilding the economy from fragility to prosperity through recovery, transition and reconstruction,” Khosru said.
He noted that the framework aligns with the current government’s electoral pledges. “We were elected by the people based on our manifesto and commitments. Naturally, this framework reflects those commitments and the aspirations of the people,” he said.
According to Khosru, the first and most important pillar of the framework is reform of the state structure. Priorities include expanding judicial and legal services, administrative digitalisation, strengthening law enforcement agencies, and modernising public investment management systems.
The government also plans to introduce a multi-year public programme mechanism to enhance continuity, accountability, and efficiency in public spending.
He added that the Tk 3 lakh crore Annual Development Programme (ADP) for FY 2026-27 has been prepared in line with the strategic framework.
The minister said the government is reshaping development priorities by reviewing inherited projects and scrapping those without economic justification. “We inherited nearly 1,300 projects. Many were initiated without proper priority, while some were linked with inefficiency, wastage and even corruption,” he said. “We are reviewing every project. Those that are not beneficial for the people or the economy will be dropped.”
For projects already in advanced stages, the government will reassess whether completion would deliver meaningful economic returns. “If we think completing a project will not benefit the country, there is no reason to continue it,” he said.
Khosru emphasized that future planning will strongly prioritize employment generation and human resource development. “We do not want jobless growth. Every investment must create jobs and improve productivity,” he said.
He highlighted increased focus on health, education, and technical training. “We are increasing investment in technical and vocational education because we do not want our youths to remain unemployed after obtaining general degrees,” he said.
The government plans to set up more technical training institutes with international-standard accreditation and certification systems. “Our goal is to create skilled manpower that can meet demand both inside and outside the country,” he added.
The minister also underscored the need for universal healthcare and primary health services. “If we want to establish universal healthcare and strengthen education, investment in these sectors is unavoidable,” he said.
Addressing concerns over implementation capacity, Khosru said leadership and commitment would be decisive. “Leadership quality, commitment and dynamism matter. We have already demonstrated within three months that this government can take decisions quickly and implement them,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Planning Ministry said the FY2026-27 ADP is built around five major pillars under the strategic framework:
Five Pillars of the FY2026-27 ADP
Reform of State Governance: Expansion of judicial and legal services, administrative digitalisation, strengthening law enforcement, and modernization of public investment management. Includes the planned Multi-Year Public Investment Programme (MYPIP).
Discrimination-free Socio-Economic Development: Highest priority given to education, healthcare, agriculture, technical education, skilled workforce development, and social safety net programmes.
Reconstruction and Recovery of a Fragile Economy: Focus on energy security, renewable energy, transport infrastructure, industrialisation, economic zones, employment generation, and productivity enhancement.
Balanced Regional Development: Targets the northern region, coastal belt, hill tracts, and port-centric development. Includes plans to develop Chattogram and Mongla as logistics hubs and strengthen coastal protection infrastructure.
Religion, Society, Sports, Culture and Solidarity: Programmes to promote social harmony, cultural development, youth skill enhancement, and sports infrastructure.
Overall, the FY2026-27 ADP sets out a reform-driven, inclusive, and sustainable development framework expected to support Bangladesh’s long-term growth through coordinated progress in governance, human resources, regional balance, and economic recovery.
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